


freedom comes from the call

by bloodmoney



Category: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, power
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-24
Updated: 2020-03-24
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:48:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23266480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bloodmoney/pseuds/bloodmoney
Summary: Describe your current situation in three words:Nobody is neutral.
Relationships: Clark Kent/Lois Lane
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5
Collections: All The Nice Things Flash Exchange 2020





	freedom comes from the call

**Author's Note:**

  * For [girlsarewolves](https://archiveofourown.org/users/girlsarewolves/gifts).



> diverges at the very first scene lois appears in. hope you enjoy 💖

_Describe your current situation in three words:_  
_Nobody is neutral._

  
It echoes in her head a lot these days. A loop while she closes her eyes, micro-scenes as she blinks, between landing in Nairomi, feeling the cold metal of a gun against her temple, and now: nobody is neutral.

Lois didn’t become a reporter in order to remain neutral. 

Her talent is the opposite: riling up people, just enough. Find out where the red line is between exposing information and putting her life at risk, staying just below it, never ever going over. A fine balance, a hard one, and most importantly, one that fluctuates. No person holds the same limits.

It was funny, somewhat. Funny, because in all the ways she expected to see herself in danger, none of them were _‘my photographer is a CIA agent and I didn’t think of that’_. But he _was_ a CIA agent, and he had a tracker, now he’s a lifeless buried body, rotting with a bullet wound and dried clotted blood, and Lois is left trying to prove herself trustworthy. 

“I wasn’t with him,” she explained, frantic. Somehow, they believed her, at least enough that she didn’t get killed. She could still be used against the Americans, they thought, which only made her laugh hollowly. CIA wouldn’t care for one citizen. 

She explained that, too, but that they only believed her when she stopped Clark from attacking - rescuing her — with a simple “Wait a minute.”

Lois never considered herself as having power over _the_ Superman, because _the_ Superman was Clark, and Clark was the person she loved. Yet, everyone surrounding her thought she did. She could see it, in the half second they relaxed, dropped their shoulders in surprise, despite no expression showing on their face. She could see it. It gave her time, and it gave her credibility, and she could use that.

“We aren’t CIA,” she said slowly, eyes trained on Clark, “but we can help you get rid of them.”

It was a gamble, then, a gamble to see if Clark would agree. They weren’t able to exchange words, but they didn’t need to; be with someone long enough and the smallest action speaks far louder.

It was a gamble, and it paid off. She’s here, now, helps devise plans. Being an American citizen doesn’t give as much information on how America runs as one would think, neither does being a reporter. 

Being Lois Lane does.

She knows how to scoop and knows how to search. Knows how to draw out insignificant details that matter more than people think. More importantly, she knows how to trust Clark, and Clark knows how to trust her, and she knows if she let him rescue her in that moment the media would be after him. They wouldn’t stop until he was down, because she knows how it would look. Like he was the reason innocent villagers got killed. Like there were no agents around, like he was violating global order about neutral ground.

It wouldn’t be the real reason, of course, but real reasons are rarely shown: the goal was to not have anyone this powerful on American ground.

He is no longer on American ground. The media is still having a field day, labeling him a traitor, a coward, but they cannot really come after him. Not here. And the people here, they still don’t trust them, but Clark and she kept their promise and drove out the people from bases they could find around, so they wouldn’t turn him in. Not sustainable, but it would have to do. They would not be prey to the government when Clark’s sole crime was being unquestionably good, just because they were afraid.

The people here don’t trust them, but they’re the only thing keeping them safe. In a way, Clark is the only thing keeping them safe, too. It works. It’s a trade.

  
_Describe your current situation in three words:_  
_Never been neutral._

  
Lois will do anything to protect Clark, even label both him and herself as traitors. Even live the foreseeable future as a fugitive. 

And so she holds some strange power over the villagers, as they hold some over her.


End file.
